Robert Murray became troubled in mind about his freedom while living in London county, Virginia, under the heel of Eliza Brooks, a widow woman, who used him bad, according to his testimony.  He had been “knocked about a good deal.”  A short while before he fled, he stated that he had been beat brutally, so much so that the idea of escape was beat into him.  He had never before felt as if he dared hope to try to get out of bondage, but since then his mind had undergone such a sudden and powerful change, he began to feel that nothing could hold him in Virginia; the place became hateful to him.  He looked upon a slave-holder as a kind of a living, walking, talking “Satan, going about as a roaring lion seeking whom he may destroy.”  He left his wife, with one child; her name was Nancy Jane, and the name of the offspring was Elizabeth.  As Robert had possessed but rare privileges to visit his wife, he felt it less a trial to leave than if it had been otherwise.  William Seedam owned the wife and child.

Susan Stewart and Josephine Smith fled together from the District of Columbia.  Running away had been for a long time a favorite idea with Susan, as she had suffered much at the hands of different masters.  The main cause of her flight was to keep from being sold again; for she had been recently threatened by Henry Harley, who “followed droving,” and not being rich, at any time when he might be in want of money she felt that she might have to go.  When a girl only twelve years of age, her young mind strongly revolted against being a slave, and at that youthful period she tried her fortune at running away.  While she was never caught by her owners, she had the misfortune to fall into the hands of another slaveholder no better than her old master, indeed she thought that she found it even worse under him, so far as severe floggings were concerned.  Susan was of a bright brown color, medium size, quick and active intellectually and physically, and although she had suffered much from Slavery, as she was not far advanced in years, she might still do something for herself.  She left no near kin that she was aware of.

Josephine fled from Miss Anna Maria Warren, who had previously been deranged from the effects of paralysis.  Josephine regarded this period of her mistress’ sickness as her opportunity for planning to get away before her mistress came to her senses.

* * * * *

SUNDRY ARRIVALS FROM MARYLAND AND VIRGINIA.

HENRY FIELDS, CHARLES RINGGOLD, WILLIAM RINGGOLD, ISAAC NEWTON AND JOSEPH THOMAS.

["Five other cases were attended to by Dillwyn Parish and J.C.  White”—­other than this no note was made of them.]

Henry Fields took the benefit of the Underground Rail Road at the age of eighteen.  He fled from the neighborhood of Port Deposit while being “broke in” by a man named Washington Glasby, who was wicked enough to claim him as his property, and was also about to sell him.  This chattel was of a light yellow complexion, hearty-looking and wide awake.